Reading List: White Mountains, NH

Steve Smith, 60, of Lincoln, New Hampshire, owns The Mountain Wanderer (a specialty map and guidebook shop) and co-authored the AMC's White Mountain Guide, which details 1,420 trail miles—all of which Smith has hiked, making him one of about 20 people to have "red-lined" the entire guide. Here are his favorite books for learning more about the area. Then click here for his top tips on exploring New England’s biggest alpine zone.

The Granite State's crown jewel is an epicenter for alpine adventure, from peakbagging to ridgewalking to hut camping. Where to start? In the heart of the Whites, with beta from our map team. Trek across windswept plateaus, tag a handful of the range's 48 peaks above 4,000 feet, and get a taste of high-altitude tundra.